The best organization apps can help you stay on track and protect your main nonrenewable resource — time. Whether you’re looking for an app that helps you run your to-do list from your Apple Watch or you want a full-scale solution for task and project management for your business, there’s an app that’s right for that.
We’re here to make sure you don’t spend hours experimenting with free trials and testing the hundreds of available apps on the market. Instead, feel free to start your research with our carefully curated list of some great organizational apps and solutions below.
What are organizational apps?
Organizational apps are software tools that help you optimize productivity and manage time throughout each day. They help you remember and prioritize everything you need to do, so you’re meeting big and small goals regularly.
Organizational apps are often designed for use with your mobile devices, so you can have your reminder and scheduler right in your pocket whenever you need.
Organizational apps can interface with mind-mapping tools, notetaking apps, and document storage clouds to keep all your resources handy. Most transfer the calendaring and to-do functions of old-school, hard-copy day planners into digital form for your convenience. Even better, apps often provide templates to make your task management smoother.
To that end, we’ve done a little research to see what worthwhile options you have when it comes to the best organizational apps — and you’ll get a look at monday.com Work OS, too.
Best organization apps to enhance productivity
Whether you’re a CEO or a student, you can take control of your time and organize your life with organizational apps that help you make better use of time. Here are some of the top organizational apps to help you get on top of your workload in the list below.
1. Todoist
Todoist has a slick user interface that helps you see what you should do next, and it integrates smoothly with Dropbox, Google Calendar, and many other organizational apps. It’s also available on all the major platforms, so you can switch from your laptop to your smart watch and stay synced to your organizational list. Built-in reminders keep you on task and help you develop good habits, and checklists help you organize your day.
Some of those collaborative features, though, aren’t as robust as you’ll find with other apps. Todoist does lack some features like scheduling and time-tracking, which many people need for purposes like expense reporting or invoicing.
2. TickTick
TickTick’s free version provides basic functionality for keeping your to-do list updated, capturing ideas and brainstorms, assigning tasks, and setting reminders — and more advanced features are available with a subscription. It’s made for those with an on-the-go lifestyle, since it delivers location-based alerts as you move through town. If you also use the Pomodoro focus method, you’ll recognize the built-in time tracker feature, and the white noise generator can be valuable if you’re trying to work in a noisy environment or on public transportation.
Another useful feature of TickTick is the “Plan My Day” function, which organizes your due dates so you can prioritize what to work on each day. However, don’t expect TickTick to sync with your calendar unless you’re willing to upgrade. You may also find that the free version’s limits on lists, tasks, and subtasks are, well, limiting when you’re trying to manage various projects.
3. Microsoft To Do
If you’re looking for something simple to just keep track of your to-do lists, Microsoft To Do is an excellent choice. It’s a user-friendly phone application that lets you manage multiple to-do lists from one interface.
Besides allowing you to manage basic lists, it also supports voice recordings, documents, and notes. Plus, you can schedule reminders for your different tasks so you never forget a deadline or appointment. Since the application is on your phone, you can take your reminders with you everywhere you go.
While Microsoft To Do doesn’t offer advanced scheduling features or support more intensive organizational options, it’s perfect for those looking for a simple, easy to use option that can be used from anywhere.
4. Calendly
Calendly isn’t an all-in-one organizational app like some other choices, but it’s an excellent scheduling tool that can integrate with other platforms. This app hosts an online calendar that you can share with your clients to allow them to book a meeting or appointment at their convenience.
Since you can’t be double-booked inside the app, it saves a lot of back and forth to see when people are free. Clients are shown when you’re free, and then they can pick from any of those spots.
To allow clients (or even friends and family) to schedule, you simply send them a link via texting or email that gives thema choice of dates that you’re free so they can pick the one that’s most convenient for them.
5. Active Inbox
If your email inbox is always overflowing, it can be challenging to make sure you remember everything that needs to be done. Did you respond to that last important message? Did you remember to do that thing your boss emailed you about?
Active Inbox seamlessly integrates into your primary email provider and allows you to turn any emails that require follow ups or actions into tasks. You can then check off those tasks as they’re completed, so you never lose track.
One useful feature of this organizational app is that it has a function that allows you to write an email now but send it later. This can be helpful if you have clients or customers who are in different time zones.
6. monday.com
monday.com provides dynamic organizational tools for individuals, teams, and entire enterprises on both desktop and mobile app versions You can use our Work OS alongside other favorite tools, including Google Drive. Customization features are abundant, so you can make the individual tools work for you in an easy, flexible way.
Lots of color-coding and graphics are helpful to people who are visually inclined, and the ease of use makes the platform a snap for non-techies. Use Gantt charts and Kanban-style workflows to visualize projects in real-time, and stay connected with your whole team through easy integration with Slack.
On top of automations and plenty of communication methods, monday.com offers ready-made templates for sales/marketing, design, project management, HR, and plenty of other categories. Starting with templates makes it easy to do everything from planning entire campaigns to tracking contacts and managing teams. All templates are fully customizable.
Some of our templates that help boost productivity and harness organizational power include:
- The Organizational Plan Template, which helps you create and track objectives
- The Weekly To-Do List Template, which uses simple drag-and-drop tech to prioritize tasks and create easy-to-follow workflows.
- The Student Organizational Template, which is ideal for student leaders who want to plan events and manage contacts
Having the right app in your pocket is a great way to get started with organizing your life or work. But knowing how to apply organization methods to your lists is also important, which is why we’ve delved a bit into these topics in the FAQs.
For more on productivity, read this blog on productivity apps.
FAQs about the best organization apps
What’s the easiest way to organize your life?
Stay organized by writing things down — everything from your grocery list to contact information for friends and family members. Trust your organizing app to remember things and keep you on schedule so you can use your brainpower for more creative endeavors.
For best results with time management, prioritize your to-do list according to your goals, and don’t try to multitask.Plan each day ahead of time, setting aside specific blocks of time to accomplish each task. For example, you might spend a few minutes a day keeping your home organized, working on social networking, or updating your shopping lists.
What are some common organization systems?
Organizational systems vary depending on what you’re trying to organize. If you want to organize documents, a filing cabinet — virtual or physical — makes it easier to find information through the use of folders. Organizing your time is vital for productivity. Apps such as those discussed here help with that, as do to-do lists, reminder systems, and calendars. And the checklist is at the heart of almost every organizational system.
Power personal or business organization with the right app
Choosing the right organizational app for yourself and your team members can make an enormous difference in your productivity and efficiency — not to mention your sense of confidence that you can handle the tasks placed before you.
When your time, your team, and your information are organized, you have the freedom to level up and be innovative. Try monday.com to start organizing your tasks and communication in minutes.
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